The present invention relates to a composition for improving cooling sensation effect containing a cooling-sensation imparting substance (hereinafter referred to as a cooling sensation substance), a cationic surfactant, and a vanilylalkyl ether as a warm sensation substance in the composition. In addition, the present invention relates to a composition for improving cooling sensation effect under wet conditions, that imparts a strong cooling sensation effect (hereinafter referred to as a wet cooling sensation effect) when used after washing the hair by using, in particular, a shampoo that does not contain a cooling sensation substance, or a shampoo that contains a cooling sensation substance at 0.2 wt % or less. Moreover, the present invention relates to a hair treatment product that contains the above composition. This composition or a product containing this composition has a strong cooling sensation effect while also having the effects of sustaining that cooling sensation effect.
There have been considerable changes in lifestyle or consumer needs in recent years. The cosmetics, hair care products, toiletry products, bath additives, pharmaceuticals and various other products used on a daily basis are preferred to impart not only the function inherently required by that product, but also a function that imparts a refreshing sensation during or after use. Consequently, various products impart a refreshing sensation are commercially available in various forms.
Typical examples of products that are preferred to impart a refreshing sensation or cooling sensation effect include cosmetics used in the summer, hair care products such as shampoos, rinses and hair conditioners, body care products such as body shampoos, as well as poultices, bath additives and insect repellent sprays.
In order to satisfy these requirements, conventional types of cooling sensation substances were blended into those products, examples of which include levo-menthol (hereinafter referred to as L-menthol), camphor, methyl salicylate, menthyl malonate, borneol, cineole, menthone, spearmint, peppermint, levo-isopulegol (hereinafter referred to as L-isopulegol), 3-(levo-menthoxy)propane-1,2-diol (hereinafter referred to as 3-(1-menthoxy)propane-1,2-diol), paramenthane-3,8-diol and glycosylmonomenthyl-orthoacetate.
In order to respond to the growing market for such cooling sensation substances, in addition to research and developing being conducted on novel cooling sensation substances, attempts have been made to combine two or more types of cooling sensation substances in order to enhance cooling sensation effect. Alternatively, research has also been conducted on improving cooling sensation effect by combining cooling sensation substances with other substances.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 63-208505 describes the combined use of 3-(1-menthoxy)propane-1,2-diol and a specific glycerin ether, while Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 63-264522 describes the combined use of 3-(1-menthoxy)propane-1,2-diol and hydrophilic polyether denatured silicon, to enhance cooling sensation effect. In addition, a hair treatment composition that uses a combination of a specific cooling sensation substance and a specific warming sensation substance is proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 6-107527. However, according to these compositions, although a certain degree of increased cooling sensation effect is observed, this can still not be said to be adequate, and the duration of that effect is also not sufficient. Moreover, there is a need for a cooling sensation substance that demonstrates superior cooling sensation effect as well as superior duration of that effect.
Moreover, a cooling sensation composition is proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-44924. This composition uses the combination of a specific cooling sensation substance and a warming sensation substance in the form of vanilylbutyl ether. A scalp care composition is proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-191416 that contains a warming sensation substance and a cationic polymer. However, although the former advocates cooling sensation effect, it does not have, as an essential ingredient, the cationic surfactant that is an essential ingredient of the present invention. Although the latter proposes the sustaining of a powerful massage effect and warming sensation on the scalp, there is no description of any cooling sensation effect on the scalp.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a composition for improving and sustaining a cooling sensation effect.
In addition, it is another object of the present invention to provide a composition for improving and sustaining wet cooling sensation effect.
Moreover, it is still another object of the present invention to provide a hair treatment product that contains a composition for improving cooling sensation effect that sustains that effect. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hair treatment product that contains a composition for improving wet cooling sensation effect that improves wet cooling sensation effect and sustains that effect.
Briefly stated, the present invention provides a composition containing a cooling-sensation imparting substance and a cationic surfactant which results in an excellent cooling sensation effect. A composition additionally containing vanilylalkyl ether, wherein the alkyl group has 1 to 6 carbon atoms, is also effective as a composition for improving cooling sensation effect. The present composition for improving cooling sensation effect improves cooling sensation effect while also sustaining that effect. In particular, the present invention provides a composition for improving cooling sensation effect that is able to impart a cooling sensation effect and sustain that effect when used after washing the hair using a shampoo containing no cooling sensation substance or a shampoo containing only a small amount of cooling sensation substance.
As a result of an intensive research conducted to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention, focusing on cationic surfactants, found that when a hair treatment product composition was prepared that contained a cationic surfactant and the cooling sensation substance, L-menthol, there was an improved cooling sensation effect. For some reason in particular, there was an improved wet cooling sensation effect. Moreover, when the warming sensation substance, vanilylbutyl ether, was blended into the above composition, it was found that the wet cooling sensation effect in particular is improved. It was further found that the resulting effect is sustained, thereby leading to completion of the present invention following additional research.
Namely, the present invention relates to:
1) a composition for improving cooling sensation effect that contains a cooling sensation substance, a cationic surfactant and a vanilylalkyl ether;
2) the above composition for improving cooling sensation effect, wherein the cooling sensation substance is at least one kind of compound selected from the group consisting of L-menthol, isopulegol, 3-(1-menthoxy)propane-1,2-diol and paramenthane-3,8-diol;
3) a hair treatment product having improved cooling sensation effect that contains the above composition for improving cooling sensation effect at 0.001 to 2 wt %;
4) a method for improving cooling sensation effect comprising applying the above composition; and,
5) a hair care product combining a rinse or hair conditioner with a shampoo containing no cooling sensation substance or a shampoo containing a cooling sensation substance at 0.2 wt % or less.
The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements.